Bottle to cup adapter sealer

ABSTRACT

An adapter is used to couple a beverage container to a holding container. The adapter has a ridge point, a top portion, and a bottom portion. The ridge point is designed to rest upon a rim of the holding container. The top portion includes a top aperture and a sloped side disposed between the ridge point and the top aperture. The bottom portion includes a bottom aperture and a side wall disposed between the ridge point and the bottom aperture. The top aperture&#39;s size is related to the size of the beverage container, while the bottom aperture&#39;s size is related to the size of the holding container.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.63/368,797 filed on 19 Jul. 2022, titled “UBCoosie, Bottle to CupAdapter Sealer,” which is incorporated herein in its entirety for allpurposes.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present application relates to beverage containers. In particular,the present application relates to a device designed for the retentionof the thermal integrity of beverages.

2. Description of Related Art

Presently, there are several different systems used for retention ofthermal integrity for beverages, such as thermal cups/mugs and“coosies,” among other devices. A coosie is a stretchable or solidmaterial having the purpose of covering a beverage bottle/can, and thusaids in the retention of the beverage's cold state longer than if thebeverage bottle/can were not insulated by a coosie.

Thermal cups/mugs have been widely produced for the purpose of keepingdrinks either hot or cold. At some point thermal cups were produced suchthat a person could pour their drink into said thermal cups to enhancethe thermal retention to a far greater extent and for a much longerperiod of time. However, in doing so the user of the thermal cup is notable to retain and use the original beverage bottle throughout theconsumption process, which is often important for both taste andconsistency purposes. Many people prefer to drink from a bottle or acan, which is not possible with the use of thermal mugs, and thus thoseindividuals must resort to the less effective coosie approach.

There are adapters in existence which are made to attach to a thermalcup directly, but said adapters are designed to cover the top of abottle. Said adapters are essentially an extension of the thermal cupand the design incorporates the form of a bottle neck itself.

Although the aforementioned systems for thermal retention representgreat strides in the field of beverage containers, many shortcomingsremain.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are setforth in the appended claims. However, the invention itself, as well asa preferred mode of use, and further objectives and advantages thereof,will best be understood by reference to the following detaileddescription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a bottle to cup adapter sealer according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the bottle to cup adapter sealer of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a bottle to cup adapter sealer according to analternative embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottle to cup adapter sealer of FIG.1 .

While the assembly of the present application is susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof havebeen shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described indetail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein ofspecific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to theparticular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention isto cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the present application as defined by theappended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrative embodiments of the bottle to cup adapter sealer accordingto the present application are provided below. It will of course beappreciated that in the development of any actual embodiment, numerousimplementation-specific decisions will be made to achieve thedeveloper's specific goals, such as compliance with assembly-related andbusiness-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effortmight be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routineundertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 1 in the drawings, a bottle to cup adapter sealeris illustrated according to a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention. Adapter 100 has a unique configuration for retaining thethermal state of a beverage container, while also allowing the consumerof the beverage to consume said beverage in a manner intended by thebeverage company. For example, when a company utilizes a specificcontainer shape and size, it is often done with a purpose of providingthe best possible beverage consuming experience.

Adapter 100 preferably includes top edge 101, bottom edge 103, slopedside 105, side wall 107, and ridge point 109. Top edge 101 spans theperimeter and defines the shape of top aperture 102 (best illustrated inFIG. 2 ). Under the preferred embodiment, top aperture 102 is circularshaped so as to accommodate the neck of bottle 111. Although bottle 111has sides creating a cone-like shape with an open top, it should beunderstood that alternative embodiments of the present invention mayutilize alternative shapes for top aperture 102 for use withalternatively shaped bottles or cans. As such, alternative embodimentsmay have top edges that are sized or shaped differently than top edge101. Top edge 101, top aperture 102, and sloped side 105 togetherestablish a top portion of the system.

Similarly, bottom edge 103 spans the perimeter of a bottom aperture thatis shaped and sized for compatibility with container 113. Under thepreferred embodiment, container 113 is cylindrically shaped andconfigured for holding bottle 111, or other beverage containers.Alternative embodiments of the present invention may be configured forcompatibility with alternatively shaped and sized containers, such thatbottom edge 103 will have a different corresponding shape and size.Bottom edge 103, the bottom aperture, and side wall 107 togetherestablish a bottom portion of the system.

Sloped side 105 and side wall 107 span the distance between top edge 101and bottom edge 103, meeting at ridge point 109. Ridge point 109 ispreferably positioned around a top edge/rim of container 113 when theadapter is in use. Sloped side 105 is a curved surface spanning betweentop edge 101 and ridge point 109. Alternative embodiments may includeother shaped sides, such as being substantially or wholly planar fromthe top edge to the ridge point or having multiple planar portionsseparated by angled portions.

Side wall 107 spans between bottom edge 103 and ridge point 109. Sidewall 107 is preferably configured to fit over the surface of container113, such that side wall 107 snugly covers a partial section ofcontainer 113. It should be understood that the illustration of thepresent invention is illustrative of a preferred embodiment, but thatalternative embodiments may take upon a multitude of shapes and sizes.For example, side wall 107 may cover a greater or smaller portion ofcontainer 113, including potentially covering the full side surface ofthe container.

Container 113 may be any sort of cup, mug, or thermal container designedto fit other bottles or beverage containers within. Adapter 100 ispreferably made from rubber or other stretchable material. The choice ofstretchable material allows for adapter 100 to couple the neck of abeverage container (such as bottle 111) to the rim of any cup,container, or thermal cup (such as container 113). Said coupling is doneto create a seal both around the neck of the beverage container and thecup, container, or thermal cup. This seal is both a barrier to thermalloss from outside air and acts as a seal to reduce or eliminate anycondensation or other liquid from escaping the space in between the cup,container, or thermal cup (such as melted ice). Again, it should beappreciated that the present invention and the coupling method can beutilized with beverage cans and other containers that beverages arecontained in, beyond the bottle illustrated herein.

Adapter 100 is uniquely configured such that bottle 111 is containedsecurely within container 113 without emptying the contents of bottle111 into said container 113, while simultaneously creating a seal forprevention of thermal variance of the bottle's contents and preventionof leakage from between the bottle and container. Such a seal allows forsome ice, or other cooling measure, to be placed in between thecontainer and the bottle as desired, and any liquids or condensationwill not leak upon melting of the ice. If the intention is to retainheat, a possible heating source could be placed in such an area insteadof the ice or cooling measure. As stated above, a stretchable materialis preferably used for adapter 100, such that adapter 100 may be usedwith bottles and containers having a variety of shapes and sizes.

Referring now also to FIG. 2 in the drawings, a top view of adapter 100is illustrated. FIG. 2 best illustrates the positioning of top aperture102 as well as the approximate size of top aperture 102 compared to thebottom aperture. It should be appreciated that alternative embodimentsof the present invention may have alternatively positioned apertures (asdescribed below) and various sizes for the apertures. For example, foran adapter configured to be utilized substantially with beverage cansinstead of bottles, it may be desirable to have a top aperture with alarger diameter, as cans generally have larger diameters than bottlenecks. In such scenario, the stretchable material of the adapter asillustrated will allow for said adapter to be utilized with cans, butmay cause unwanted stress and wear to the adapter for its continuouslarge amount of stretching to fit a beverage can. An adapter with alarger top aperture is less likely to be subject to such wear andtherefore is more likely to last additional time compared to otherembodiments.

Referring now also to FIG. 3 in the drawings, a top view of a bottle tocup adapter sealer is illustrated according to an alternative embodimentof the present invention. Adapter 300 is substantially similar toadapter 100, including a top edge 301, top aperture 302, bottom edge303, and sloped side 305, among other similar features not seen from thetop view. However, top aperture 302 is not positioned in the center ofthe adapter, but rather is disposed in a position closer to one edge ofthe adapter relative to the opposing edge of the adapter. Suchpositioning change allows for variability in the shape of a beveragecontainer held within, or to simply modify the way a beverage containeris seated within the system. For example, a bottle may be seated at aslight angle with the neck positioned toward an edge of the adapter,which may be desirable for aesthetic purposes or simply to reduce thetilt of the system required for pouring some of the beverage, amongother reasons. It should be understood that such positioning change ofthe top aperture may result in a variance in the sloping of sloped side305, unlike the uniform sloping presented around the full portion ofsloped side 105.

Referring now also to FIG. 4 in the drawings, a perspective view ofadapter 100 is illustrated. FIG. 4 best illustrates adapter 100 while itis not being used to couple a bottle to a container. Although top edge101 and ridge point 109 are illustrated as being positioned in a rigidstate to keep overall form of the adapter, it should be understood thatalternative embodiments of the present invention may be a non-rigidmaterial throughout, such that the form is not completely held in theposition as illustrated.

Although not illustrated herein, it should additionally be understoodthat the present invention may be a wholly or at least substantiallyrigid structure. Such rigid structure may be similar to a solid liddesigned to be compatible with a specifically manufactured thermal orother cup/container. Said structure may be configured to twist on to acontainer into a sealed position, press fit onto said container, orother methods of coupling a lid to a container. When designed forrigidity, it should be understood that the material used will not bestretchable, but rather would be made of a rigid material such as a hardplastic.

Other alternative embodiments may be a partially rigid, partiallystretchable structure. In such embodiments, it may be desirable to use ahard plastic, or similar material, to form the bottom edge and sidewalls for compatibility with a specific container, while also having astretchable portion for the sloped sides and top aperture, such thatvarious beverage containers may fit within the semi-rigid adapter.

It is apparent that a system with significant advantages has beendescribed and illustrated. The particular embodiments disclosed aboveare illustrative only, as the embodiments may be modified and practicedin different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the arthaving the benefit of the teachings herein. It is therefore evident thatthe particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified,and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit ofthe application. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as setforth in the description. Although the present embodiments are shownabove, they are not limited to just these embodiments, but are amenableto various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof.

1. An adapter for coupling a beverage container to a holding container,comprising: a ridge point configured to rest upon a rim of the holdingcontainer; a top portion extending from the ridge point, the top portioncomprising: a top aperture; and a sloped side disposed between the ridgepoint and the top aperture; and a bottom portion extending from theridge point in an opposing direction from the top portion, the bottomportion comprising: a bottom aperture; and a side wall disposed betweenthe ridge point and the bottom aperture; wherein the top aperture issizably related to the beverage container; and wherein the bottomaperture is sizably related to the holding container.
 2. The adapter ofclaim 1, wherein the top portion and bottom portion are made of astretchable material.
 3. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the top portionand bottom portion are made of a rigid material.
 4. The adapter of claim1, wherein the bottom portion is made of a rigid material and the topportion is made of a stretchable material.
 5. The adapter of claim 1,further comprising: a top edge defining the perimeter of the topaperture; and a bottom edge defining the perimeter of the bottomaperture; wherein the top edge is configured to create a seal with thebeverage container; and wherein the bottom edge is configured to createa seal with the holding container.
 6. The adapter of claim 1, whereinthe material of the top portion and the bottom portion is designed tosubstantially maintain the thermal state of a beverage within thebeverage container.
 7. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the beveragecontainer is a can having a top rim; and wherein the top aperturecreates a seal near the top rim of the can, such that a beverage withinthe can may still be consumed after the adapter is coupled to the can.8. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the beverage container is a bottlehaving a neck portion; and wherein the top aperture creates a seal withthe bottle along the neck portion, such that a beverage within thebottle may still be consumed after coupling the adapter to the bottle.9. A system for containing beverages, comprising: a holding containerconfigured to hold a beverage container within, the holding containerhaving a rim; an adapter operably associated with the rim of the holdingcontainer, the adapter comprising: a top portion having a top aperture;and a bottom portion having a bottom aperture; wherein the bottomaperture is sized to fit over the rim.
 10. The system of claim 9,wherein the holding container is designed to substantially retain thethermal state of a beverage.
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the topportion is made of a stretchable material.
 12. The system of claim 9,wherein the bottom portion is configured to create a seal with theholding container and the top portion is configured to create a sealwith the beverage container.
 13. The system of claim 9, wherein thebottom portion is made of a stretchable material, such that the adapteris capable of being coupled to various sized holding containers.